La Crosse, WI — Today, the Washington Post published an extensive fact check of two of Senator Ron Johnson’s most egregious claims about COVID-19 vaccines and natural immunity from the disease. For falsely saying, and repeating, that, “Natural immunity is as strong if not stronger,” than immunity offered by the COVID-19 vaccines, and claiming, again falsely and multiple times, that the vaccines have, “Some pretty serious side effects, including death,” the analysis gave Senator Johnson a “Four Pinocchios” rating. In response to the fact-check, which can be read here, Dr. Bob Freedland, an ophthalmologist in La Crosse and the Wisconsin State Lead for the Committee to Protect Health Care, released the following statement:
“Physicians across Wisconsin like me have been demanding for months that Senator Ron Johnson be held accountable for the dangerous disinformation he seems to be deliberately promoting, so it’s no surprise that an in-depth analysis of his false claims reveals such inaccuracies. The only message that our elected officials should be sharing is the correct one, which is that the vaccines are overwhelmingly safe and effective at preventing COVID-19, and even those who have gotten the disease should be vaccinated to protect themselves and their loved ones. As the fact-check points out, we can’t be sure of what Senator Johnson’s motives for sharing disinformation are, but we know that they are dangerous and likely costing Wisconsin lives every day.”
